Angels on High
by atomic-oblaat
Summary: After the final adventure, Ryou finds himself alone. An old acquaintance proves interested in more than just friendship, but what happens when another "old friend" reappears and complicates things? OtogixRyou, BakuraxRyou
1. Angels in the Clouds

A/N: Oookay, so I had no idea what this was going to be when I started writing it, but now I think I have it all planned out- except for the end, of course. This chapter was kind of hell to write, and I'm still not sure if I like it or not, but I have been "assured" (translation: my girlfriend beat it into me) that it's good, so whatever. I promise it'll start picking up after this chapter. I do actually have a plot, bear with me. …And there WILL be sex, so help me Ra.

Pairings: Bakura x Ryou, Otogi x Ryou and possibly some other fun combinations therein. =) Btw, apparently Otogi x Ryou is called minorshipping. o_O

Disclaimer: don't own. That's why it's called FANfiction. _

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Ever since I was little, I've always loved riding in airplanes. When I used to be a part of a family- a loving unit made up of a mother, father, sister and myself, we made sure to take frequent vacations to exciting locations all over the world. Tokyo, London, Cairo, New York and even Shanghai- I had seen them all and every time we took off for some new adventure, I made sure I was comfortably seated by the window. There was always something absolutely exhilarating about leaning against that cool glass, big old-fashioned earphones blasting Mozart or Bach from my battered walkman as the clouds drifted serenely past us, just inching along as if we were barely even moving. Sometimes I would even get lucky and I'd be found miles above the surface of the earth right as the sun was setting into the horizon. As fast as we were chasing it across the sky, it always beat us to the edge of the world, and suddenly it would seem like the entire universe was on fire. Crimson reds, deep maroons and dazzling golden oranges painted the clouds like an image straight from one of my fairy tale pop up books. I used to imagine there was some kind of fantastical race of angels or winged people living in those feathered fortresses, just watching us as we passed by, whispering amongst themselves and wondering what kind of bizarre metal creature it was that disturbed their tranquil world. The plane ride always seemed to outshine the trip itself, in my opinion. Being up there with those angels, high above the pain and grit of the 'real world' down below, I felt like anything was possible. I was filled with such optimism and extreme contentment. I didn't have a care in the world.

It was so unlike what I felt now. Looking out the window beside me, I was greeted not with a glorious sunset or even the calm passing of clouds, but a hulking metal dragon, tinted blue by the sun. Beside me, Ryuuji Otogi and Mutou jii-chan were clamboring over my seat, trying to get a glimpse of what I supposed was, to most, an astonishing and even a wondrous sight. Similarly, in the seats behind us, Yuugi-tachi was ooh-ing and aww-ing as well. It seemed the whole plane was captivated by the hunk of iron and gears, actually. I couldn't help but feel like the angels I'd imagined as a child, confused and frightened by the intrusion. The scene just looked wrong, I _felt _wrong being here. Below us the world seemed so vast and overwhelming and the one place within it that I wanted to be was gone, buried in rubble and sand.

I couldn't help but wonder if the rest of them were as affected by that final 'adventure' as I was. Yuugi was suffering, that much I could discern from the minute twitches in his face, the fragile, broken quality his eyes had taken. I wondered how deeply he had felt for the pharaoh, if he cared for him the way I had cared for my spirit. Did he feel as empty as I did? As lonely?

But then, Yuugi would never be alone anymore. That much was made clear by his throng of supporters flanking him on all sides. Even though he would never admit it, even Kaiba was there for him, if ever he needed anything. No, Yuugi had friends all over the world now. He would survive without his precious other self. Hell, he'd probably even prosper from this departure. There was no doubt in my mind that Yuugi had already grown and matured more in such a brief span of time than I had my whole life.

I was the one left alone now. Alone, betrayed and forgotten. I don't know what I expected. I knew from the very beginning what his intentions were. I knew his motives, I knew his means. I suppose I even knew deep down that he would lose. I just imagined that, come time, I would at least have the chance to save him, or worse come to worse, to join him. I should have known it was a lie when he said that he would always be with me, that he needed me, that he loved me. It's always a lie. Why would it be any different from the mouth of a viper?

"It's just like Kaiba to fly around in a giant Duel Monster, don't you think, Bakura-kun?" Otogi's sudden profession shocked me out of my thoughts. He had finally replaced his rear in the seat next to mine and was looking at me with a gentle smile, his brow slightly raised, as though he sensed that something wasn't quite right. But he was perpetually Japanese and thus kept his thoughts and his questions to himself. "I bet that thing's not even half the size of his ego. Still, you can't deny that it _is_ pretty impressive." He met my eyes and laughed slightly. "The jet, I mean."

I forced a polite smile across my face and joined in the chuckling. I had been around the block, so to speak, enough times to know the proper Japanese response to his subtle inquiry. Hide it all behind a smile and proceed as though your world is not crumbling around you. Everything is okay so long as they can't see the demons on your shoulders or hear the trembling in your voice. _No one has to know._ I believe that's the golden rule.

"Of course, Ryuuji-san," I said, the smile never leaving my face, "It's so impressive, in fact, that all I can see out my window is metal. Very beautiful, what money can build. Why, if it wasn't for Kaiba-san and his vast riches, I'm sure we wouldn't even be here, at this final stage, miles above Egypt on the return trip from saving the world and all. I must remember to thank him." Otogi looked confused. "I think I'm going to nap for a while. Please wake me when we land, if you don't mind." With that, I turned back to face the window. Mokuba caught my eye from the giant Blue Eyes and waved, his entire face sparkling with childish joy and pride. Otogi's reflection continued to stare at the back of my head, though his jaw seemed tighter than before. I shut my eyes and willed the plane to land.

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A/N: My main characters are going to end up driving me completely insane by the time this thing's over. Ryou's already being a snarky little sourpuss, and Otogi's just plain disobedient. Basically, the writing process on the last half of this chapter went something like this:

Me: Okay, now Ryou's going to have a long drawn out inner monologue about life, love, the nature of good and evil, and-

Otogi: *pokes Ryou*

Me: o_o …Otogi, WTF are you doing?

Otogi: He looks sad. I want to cheer him up.

Me: …Dude, you're not supposed to be in this thing yet. This is Ryou's monologue chapter. Leave him alone.

Otogi: *continues poking Ryou*

Ryou: *bites him* I'm pissed.

Me: I know you're angry, babe, but we still have to finish the chapter. I need some more background info from you, if you could just-

Ryou: NO. My life sucks, the love of my life was possessed by a giant monster with a snake for a penis and banished to the fucking netherworld for all eternity, nobody likes me and there's a GIANT BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON OUTSIDE MY WINDOW. I WANT OFF THIS GODDAMN PLANE.

Me: o.o

Otogi: … _I_ like you…

Me: OMG whatever. I don't care anymore. Do what you want. You're both hopeless. *headdesks*

Bakura: *floating upside down behind me* OI. YOU THERE. MORTAL. I THOUGHT THIS STORY WAS ABOUT ME. WHERE THE HELL AM I??

Me: …I need a drink. *wanders off to make happy with the Jack and the coke*


	2. Shades of Melancholy

AN: Here it is, chapter two. I meant for this chapter to be longer, but it just didn't work that way. I also find myself rambling a considerable amount here, although I tend to always think I'm rambling, even if others don't necessarily agree. All the same, I do apologise. I'd also like to apologise for the extreme delay in updating. I'd like to say that I'll do better in the future, but I can't make that promise. Life tends to, y' know, _happen. _For those of you reading _All it Takes, _The next chapter is most of the way done, but I literally have, like, 10 different stories I'm working on right now, not to mention work, health and family issues, plus several different trips in the planning stages. That being said, please enjoy this chapter. :)

It was raining when we descended upon Japan. From above, the city of Domino seemed fake, plastic skyscrapers painted grey and black under a canopy of angry clouds. It all looked like a miniature town in a tabletop RPG, just like the ones I used to play with the spirit of the ring. I had hated him back then, _truly _hated him. Perhaps it was the millennia he spent locked away with no outside contact, or maybe he had lost all of his memories as well, leaving him with nothing but ill intent and a burning hatred for the world, but he had cared for absolutely nothing but causing others pain in those days, myself included.

That was before he began to open up to me, before I saw him as the human being he truly was, hidden inside that demonic shell. I noticed it slowly, like watching the pieces of a complicated jigsaw puzzle come together. First the corners began to form; a blurry outline standing out amongst the shadows, then the rest came together piece by piece until, finally, the image was complete.

I realized it late one night, when I awoke with a strange feeling of loneliness tearing at my heart, a dim light emanating from the ring on my bedside table. Upon searching the apartment, I found, in the spare bedroom I used as my game room, what at first appeared to be myself. It was a slender figure, the same height as me, wearing my pajamas, but I could tell immediately that it was the being that lived in the ring. I hid myself in the shadows and watched as he held one of my RPG miniatures in his hands, turning it over and studying it almost reverently, sadly. I couldn't make out his expression, but from the way the hazy beams of moonlight reflected off of his slumped shoulders, his downturned face, I knew what he felt. I felt it too, the same pain, loneliness and betrayal. I felt it as if it were my own.

From that night forward, something undeniable changed between the two of us. I never told him what I saw that night, but I think he knew. His attitude was different after that; at least it was toward me. He became gentler, more protective, and through some unspoken pact we had finally come to work together, blending ourselves into the perfect weapon, our missions the same. To be honest, I didn't really care about anyone else but him. At first, I thought Yuugi and the others were my friends, the only ones I had, but I realized very quickly how wrong I was. For all of their proclaimed goodness, for the high esteem in which they supposedly held friendship and love, it all shriveled away to nothing in the end. Their bright smiles and kind words were nothing more than a mask. There was nothing behind them, no substance.

Maybe it was the conjoined failure to RSVP to my fifteenth birthday party, or maybe it was waiting out in the rain for three hours for Yuugi to meet me for dinner, only to find out the next day that he was at Jonouchi's apartment playing Duel Monsters all night and had completely forgotten that we had plans. Maybe it was playing video games with the spirit of the Millennium Ring for hours when the clock struck my fifteenth year, maybe it was the long discussions of ancient culture, modern politics and the occult, the proper way to cook a steak; or maybe it was crying in his arms, soaked to the bone and shivering as I realized that Yuugi would never notice me, never think of me as anything more than 'that poor kid with the evil spirit and the magic necklace.' Maybe that's what it was.

Today reminded me of that day. The rain tinted the world that same shade of sullen monochrome grey, like an old black and white movie with an unhappy ending; I felt that same lonely pang gripping at my heart and tugging, like it wanted to rip it out of my chest, only this time, I didn't have a pair of strong arms to cry into. There was no reassuring voice whispering in my ear, telling me it would make everything okay. All around me, they were laughing, talking excitedly in loud voices and making plans to go to the arcade, to go get burgers and milkshakes as the airplane pulled into the terminal. I didn't shift my gaze away from the window until I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Otogi's voice cut through the din around me, asking if I was awake, telling me we had landed.

I turned and put on my best smile just as the pilot came on the intercom, telling us to unbuckle our seatbelts and thanking us for our business. Otogi didn't say anything else as the plane slowly came to life, the passengers standing and stretching, retrieving their carry-on and filing down the aisle in what looked like slow motion. He did, however, reach up and free my overstuffed backpack from the cramped ceiling compartment, handing it to me with a smile as he set to recovering his own.

I couldn't help but stare at my feet as they crossed the official threshold back into Japan. It was like the curtain had closed. The arrival itself seemed to signify to me the end of an era, the final goodbye to the greatest chapter in my life, and although I could tell from Yuugi's face that he was already looking forward to the future, I just couldn't see it. I couldn't imagine moving forward, away from him, away from all that had happened. The very thought of it seemed like an injustice.

As soon as we passed security, we, or rather, Yuugi and his gang, were practically jumped by family and friends. Shizuka-san, Professor Hawkins and his granddaughter Rebecca were all there, cheering and welcoming us back. I decided not to stick around for the waterworks. Nobody noticed me slip away, as they all seemed to be focused on Yuugi and the mad attack launched on him by a giggling Rebecca and a glowering Anzu, so I made my way quickly to baggage retrieval, not caring to be party to Yuugi's fanclub and their welcome home party.

Due to my hurry in arriving, our flight's baggage had not come through yet, and I simply stood to the side, impatiently tapping my foot and watching the rain outside the windows. Thus I was when Otogi found me, suddenly clasping my shoulder and grinning as I turned around. He was flushed and apparantly out of breath, if the way he was panting and resting his free hand on his knee was any indication. "Otogi-san," I said in surprise, "why aren't you with the others? Did you… run here?"

"I could ask you the same question," he replied, still grinning. He was obviously ignoring the second part of my question. I turned away, not really knowing how to explain my discomfort. "I figured that would be your answer." I turned around again, slightly puzzled by the statement. I noticed that Otogi's grin had faltered for a moment, but when I met his eyes, it instantly replaced itself, rekindling the warm, almost goofy look on his face. "I couldn't really handle it either, you know," he continued, "all the happy friendly rainbow sparkles and crap." I couldn't help but snort a little in laughter, and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he joined me, as if unsure of what the hell he just said or why he had said it.

"I don't know, Otogi-san, you looked pretty happy to see Jonouchi-kun's little sister…" I trailed off, remembering the way he was clambering all over himself to greet the petite brunette.

"Eh heh…" he laughed awkwardly while still scratching his head. "She doesn't really like me. I've just got to give Honda some competetion or his head will swell and that'll just give Shizuka-chan even more to worry about." His smile seemed genuine, but like most of his smiles I had been privy to recently, I could tell that there was something hidden behind it. It was obvious to me, at least, that he had really liked Shizuka, even if he had "moved on," so to speak, his heart was at least a little bit broken. I smiled forlornly, trying to express a little sympathy. It could have been my imagination, but his own expression seemed to loosen a little, his smile grow a little warmer. Maybe he had picked up on it after all. "So what about you," he asked, "you want to tell me what's eating you?"

I was perfectly content on denying there was anything wrong, but somehow that seemed like an injustice to the moment we had just shared. That did not, however mean that I was willing to divulge the contents of my heart and mind, even if we did seem to share a similar wavelength. "I really don't feel like talking about it, no offense." I turned back to the conveyer belt just as it began to carry out luggage I recognized as our party's. "But thank you for asking," I said more softly as I heard Jonouchi's incoming voice retelling the extravagant tale of the Pharaoh's memory loudly and obnoxiously to his little sister and anyone else who happened to be within a five mile radius. I visibly flinched when I heard my name, although it was obvious he wasn't referring to me, per se. I couldn't help but seethe inwardly at the names he called my other half. Maybe now that the thief was out of my life, I could actually put effort into staying as far away as possible from that blonde buffoon. I didn't understand how Yuugi managed to be so obsessed with his friend.

I hadn't realized that my hands were clenched until I felt Otogi's own hand upon them. When he looked at me, he seemed to have a new understanding in his eyes, and I wasn't sure that comforted me at all. "Come on," he said softly, out of range of the others. "Baggage is coming through. Let's get ours and just get out of here. You can come back to my place if you want – we don't have to talk about anything in particular, we can just watch a movie or have a couple drinks; you know, just something to do. It'll be a pretty crappy night to be alone."

I wasn't sure if he was referring to the torrential downpour outside, or something else I didn't want him privy to, but either way, he was right; it _was _a bad night to be alone. "Okay," I replied in the same hushed voice, "just get me out of here."

He rubbed my back gently and moved away, heading back to Yuugi and the others, leaving me to wonder exactly why he was touching me so much. It didn't seem normal; but then again, _normal_ wasn't something I was expert in.

I collected my luggage rather quickly, recognizing the matching blue and black of my suitcase and backpack instantly, all the while wondering as to the intent behind Otogi's actions. The young entrepreneur had never seemed to entertain much of an interest in me before; in fact, we had barely spoken. The fact that he suddenly seemed so sympathetic was, to be honest, a bit unnerving- nice as it might have felt to my shattered psyche. There was, of course, the thought that he was interested in more base activities than chatting and bonding over a movie, but I just didn't want to think about it. I wanted to believe that he had more noble intentions than that.

_Heh. _It was funny, really. I was mourning the loss of my psychotic, undeniably cruel alter-ego, all the while wishing for chivalry and nobility from the man I was contemplating replacing him with, at least as a friend. Perhaps I was just a masochist. I craved gentility and integrity, but at the same time, I hated it. It made me sick in much the same way it did the Thief King. _I needed Him. _I needed that malice, the shades of grey, the rough edges; it was almost like a drug to me and therein laid my vice.

"Bakura-san? Are you ready to go…?" I jolted at his touch, turning to meet his eyes and realizing at the same time that there were unshed tears in mine. I reached up to wipe them away, cursing my inability to function without that bastard, for even though I loved him, I hated him at the same time. It seemed a recurring theme in my life. I couldn't love something without loathing it.

"I'm sorry," I muttered for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I really just need to get out of here…" I tried to stop the next few words from falling from my tongue, in some last ditch effort to deny there was anything wrong with me, perhaps, but I couldn't help it. "I'm falling apart," I choked, and it was the truth.

"Come on," came the gentle voice at my side. An arm closed around my shoulders and drew me to its owner's warmth, allowing me to shield my face from the undoubtedly gawking eyes of the others. I wasn't aware of much other than the grey linoleum of the Airport floor as we traversed the distance to the exit; grey, just like the rain, grey like the palette my life was painted on, an ugly, miserable shade of melancholy that suited me just fine.


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